The Unworthy By Agustina Bazterrica - Review
Review Snapshot:
What mood is this right for: Reliving some religious trauma or you just need a good creepy book
Length: 175 Pages
Genre: Horror
Source: My Local Bookstore Blackbird Books & Coffee in Raleigh, NC
Where to Buy: The Unworthy-Affiliate Link -
Blackbird Books & Coffee - or Free with an Audible Trial
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
1 Sentence Summary: A harbor from the climate crisis with the barbaric consequences.
My Thoughts:
I love Agustina Bazterrica. I read Tender is the Flesh last year and there is something about her books that just literally embed themselves in your brain. This book is no different. It comes on strong with her hard hitting prose and depictions that make you shiver. I had the heebie-jeebies on page one.
The Unworthy landed a little softer than Tender is the Flesh that —which made me vegan for a hot minute and I still can’t think about it before I eat meat—it still left its mark. The story immediately throws you into the narrators world, you have to put the pieces together along side them. I loved that type of story development, it’s immersive.
Because of how the story unfolds, it’s tough to say too much without spoiling major elements. So here’s my spoiler-free take:
If you love horror, and I mean really love horror—not light-and-spooky but visceral then yes, absolutely, pick this one up.
⚠️ Spoilers Below ⚠️
The first thing I really liked was the exploration into the religious elements. The Sacred Sisterhood is clean from the contamination of the outside world. You see throughout the book people coming to the walls to seek safety and comfort, much like people do today within the church. However, while they’re safe from the “consumption” outside the walls. They’re consumed and corrupted inside. We see the unworthy fight and torture each other to rise higher in the ranks while the consequence of rising in the ranks is mutilation and more.
This book came with a softer side as well, I loved the romance element. This really was a nice balance that I thought was missing from the punch after punch type of plot we got from Tender is the Flesh. Again, the sapphic romance line, pushes the religious themes further.
I struggled with the ending. On whether it makes it a 4 star or 5 star. On the one hand, my immediate reaction was that I wanted there to be more of a twist. I wanted it to be shocking and the ending was exactly as I expected. The more I reflected on it though, that’s kind of the point isn’t it? Even in a post apocalyptic world where the climate has destroyed our world men will still find a way to abuse their power and women? It becomes shocking that the ending isn’t shocking at all.
